Apparatus for attaching soles to shoes



c. K. M DONALD APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING SOLES T0 SHOES July 9, 1940.

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 17, 1939 July 9, 1 4 c. K. M DONALD APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING SOLES TO SHOES,

' Filed Jan. 17, 1959 2 SheetsSheet 2 I i 207' 19a 134 g 124 126 172 g 176 k 152 N 1% I Patented July 9, 1940 UNITED STATES to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Bore: s; ough of Flemington, N. J.,

New Jersey a. corporation off- Application January 17, 1939, Serial No. 251,370

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for attaching soles to shoes with cement by the application of pressure and is illustrated herein as embodied in an improved apparatus for supporting and pressing a welt or other .marginally, projecting portion of a shoe against the margin of the sole which extends beyond the last, in opposition to the pressure applied to the outer face of the sole in the sole-attaching opera tion.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved welt presser which can be conveniently and effectively used in connection with, or can be embodied in, the pressure pad of a cement-soleattaching machine and which willreadily accommodate and support thewelts of shoes of a large variety of sizes and shapes. While the illustrated welt presser was developed particularly for use in cement attachingsoles to mens shoes with the aid of a cement-sole-attaching machine of the character disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,047,185, grantedJuly 14, 1936, on an application filed in the name of Milton Hi Ballard et al., it should be understood that the invention is not limited in its utility to a machine of that type nor is it limited cto use in the manufacture of mens shoes.

Features of the invention include an improved, flexible. welt presser adapted to be easily and quickly applied and conformed to the welt crease of a shoe resting upon a pressure pad and to be pressed snugly into, and held firmly in, the welt crease of a shoe, to press upon and. support the welt during the application of pressure to the sole of the shoe; and a novel form of welt presser comprising an elongated,.fiexible, tubular, Welt-engaging element, preferably of rubber, containing a mass of round, rigid balls, which mass will, under pressure, flow to a certain extent to permit the welt support to conform closely to thewelt crease of a shoe and will transmit pressure uniformly to the welt, regardless of the size or shape of the shoe, v

A further feature of the invention comprises the combination in an integral unit with a solepressing pad, of a welt presser which is conformable to the welt creases of various shoes. 'In this case, the welt-pressing element may advantageously be hollow, with its interior in communication with the interior of the pressure pad, the whole being filled with a massof fiowable material, preferably the round, rigid balls mentioned above, thus securing a uniform distribution of pressure over the sole and welt.

With the above and other objects and features (01. 12-33) W p r a V in view, the invention will now'be'described'with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. -1 is an angular view, illustrating one form of my improved welt presser in'combination with a sole-pressing pad, r

Fig.2 is a view partly in cross section of a detail of the welt-engaging element andmeans for applying pressure thereto; a

Fig. 3- is a plan View of a pressure pad combined with a welt presser of aslightly different form, and

Fig. 4 is a View, partlyin' end elevation and (ii-i partly in cross section,of the-apparatus shown in I The invention is illustrated herein as applied to a machine of the type disclosed in the abovementioned Ballard et al. Patent No. 2,047,185 and the levers 3M and M6 correspond to the levers bearing the same reference numerals in said patent, these levers serving, respectively, to apply downward pressure to' the heel portion of the last in a shoe' I0 and to the forepart of the shoe, to press the shoe down upon the sole-pressing pad l2 which is-contained in a pad box Id. The sole and welt of the shoe are designated by It and I8, respectively. In'this'formoftheinvention, the pad l2- may contain any suitable, flowable, filling 'ma'terialZil, such as water, a mass of round, rigid balls, or any other material capable of supporting the sole-attaching pressure while permitting the pad to conform to the tread surface of the sole. I

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an elongated, U-shaped, flexible, conformable, welt-supporting and pressing element 22, consisting of a tube'of rubber, leather or other material equivalent for the purpose. The

normal cross-sectional "shape of the element 22 is approximately=as shown in Fig; 2, having an exterior ridge I I I! along one side-thereof, in order to minimize the amount of distortion necessary to make it'fit exac'tly in the 'welt crease of a shoe.

The flexible tube, which is shown at 23, is

filled with:a mass of-smalLi round, rigid balls 26, which mass flows readily under pressure to conform to; the shape of the welt-crease portion of the shoe and distribute the pressure uniformly the shoe by hand, preparatory to-the application 4 of pressure,or it maybe supported by and secured to pressure mechanism, one. form of which is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In these figures are shown a front pressure shoe 28 and a rear pressure shoe 30 arranged to engage, and, if desired, to support, the welt presser 22.

The front pressure shoe 28 is hung upon a vertically slidable rod 32 by a pivot screw 34 and upon a horizontally, slidable bar 36 by a pivot 38. The bar 36 is supported in a guideway disposed transversely of the pad I2 and formed in a block 40 which is adjustable longitudinally of the pad upon a dovetail 42 formed upon a plate 44 secured to the pad box I4.

A pull spring 46 having its ends secured, respectively, to a pin 48 mounted in the bar 36 and a pin 50 mounted in the block 40, tends to draw the bar outward and holds a cam roll 52, journaled in the outer end of the bar, against an eccentric cam 54 having a handle 56, by which it may be moved about a pivot 58 supported in a bracket 60 which constitutes an extension of the block 40. It will be apparent that if the cam 54 is rotated by means of the handle 56, the bar 36 will be forced inward toward the shoe I0, causing the pressure shoe 28 to exert inward pressure upon the shoe I0 through the welt presser 22.

The rear pressure shoe 30 is hung upon a vertically slidable rod 62 and a horizontally slidable bar 64 in a manner similar to that in which the front pressure shoe 28 is supported. As shown in Fig. 2, the bar 64 is guided in a sleeve 66 which is mounted in a bracket 68 secured to the pad box I4 and a pull spring I0, of which one end is attached to a pin I2 fixed in the bar 64 and the other end is attached to a pin 74 fixed in the sleeve 66, tends to draw the bar 64 rearward. The rear pressure shoe 30 is connected to the bar 64 by a pivot I6 and. the inner faces of the pressure shoes 28 and 30 are shaped to conform approximately to the contour of the tube 24 which, as above stated, may either be secured to and supported by the pressure shoes or may be entirely separated therefrom, in which case the pressure shoes merely bear upon and apply pressure to the welt-crease-engaging element. In order to advance the rear pressure shoe 30 against the tension of the spring I4, an upright arm I8 of a bell crank lever movable about a stationary pivot 80 bears against the outer end of the slidable bar 64. The other arm 82 of the bell crank lever extends forward beneath the pad box and its front end constitutes a handle by which the lever may be actuated to advance the pressure shoe 30 to force the welt-engaging element 22 into the welt crease of the shoe.

The rods 32, 62 are supported for vertical movement in guides 84, 86 carried by a stationary bracket 88, in an overhanging portion 90 of which is journaled a cross screw 92. Endwise motion of the screw 92 is prevented by collars 94, 96 secured to the screw and handles 98 provide for manual rotation of the screw.

The screw 92 is threaded very loosely through a transverse equalizing bar I00 in which is formed a groove I02. The upper ends of the rods 32, 62 are rounded, as shown at I04, and are received loosely in the groove I02. Each of said rods is supported by a pull spring I06 having sufficient tension to carry the weight of therod and the parts supported thereby. When the screw 92 is turned to lower the equalizer I00, the latter will force the rods 32, 62 downward and thus apply downward pressure upon the welt of the shoe I0.

At I08 is shown one of the regular sole-positioning fingers of the sole-attaching machine, by which the sole I6 is positioned upon the pad I2 before the shoe is placed upon it.

Although the ridge formation, shown at H0, is not essential, it is preferred because it facilitates the establishment of close contact between the welt presser 22 and the shoe parts in the welt crease of the shoe.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the pressure pad is shown at H2 and the pad box at II4. In this case, the filling of the pad consists preferably of a mass of small, round, rigid balls I20. Integral with the top of the pad, which may advantageously be made of rubber, is formed an elongated, hollow, flexible, welt-pressing member I22, the interior of which is in communication with the interior of the pad and is filled with part of the balls of the mass I 20 in the pad. A pair of pressure shoes I24, I26 is arranged to press inward and downward upon the welt-pressing element I22, causing the latter to roll inward over the edge of the sole and to press inward against the shoe and downward upon the surface of the welt.

The pressure shoes I24, I26 are pivoted, respectively, at I28, I30 upon the upper ends of a pair of levers I32, I34 movable about stationary pivots I36, I38. The lower ends of the levers I32, I34 are drawn toward each other by a pull spring I 40 and carry antifriction rolls I42, I44 which are engaged by a wedge member I46 connected by a rod I48 to a treadle I50 normally elevated by a spring I52. The upward limit of movement of the treadle I50 and, consequently, the separation of the upper ends of the levers I32, I34 is adjustably determined by a stop screw I54.

The pressure shoes I24, I26 are provided with tail portions I56, I58 which bear upon the upper surface of the pad I6 and cause the pressure shoes to be rocked about their pivots when the levers I32, I34 are moved inward toward each other.

In order to increase the downward component of the pressure applied by the pressure shoes, there are provided bell crank levers I60, I 62 which are movable about stationary pivots I 64 and I66, respectively. 'The arms I68, I10 of these bell crank levers carry rolls I12, I14 which engage surfaces I76 and I78 formed upon the upper portions of the levers I 32, I34.

Engaging the inner sides of the arms I68, I10 are rolls I80, I82 carried in the upper ends of levers I84, I86 which are connected by short springs to the bell crank lever arms I68, H0. The levers I84, I86 are movable about stationary pivots I88, I90 and their lower ends are formed at I92, I94 to be engaged by screws I96, I98 which are adjustably threaded through the levers I32, I 34.

The other arms 200, 202 of the bell crank levers I60, I62 carry at their lower ends antifriction rolls 204, 206 arranged to engage the top faces of the pressure shoes I24, I26 when said shoes have been swung inward and the bell crank levers have been swung outward. Springs 205, 20? tend to swing the bell crank levers inward to the positions illustrated in Fig. 4.

In the operation of this form of the invention, the sole I6 and the shoe I0 are positioned upon the pad H2 and the treadle I50 is depressed. As the wedge I46 swings the levers I32, I34 so that their upper ends are moved toward each other, the pressure shoes I24, I26 move inward and rock about their pivots, forcing the weltpressing element I22 into the welt crease of the shoe I0. The points of the screws I96, I98

shoes I24, I26 and to force the latter downward to press the element I22 firmly down upon the welt I8. When the rolls I12, I14 pass the lines joining the centers of the pivots I36, I64 and I38, I66, respectively, they no longer exert any tendency to swing the bell crank levers I60, I62 back to their initial positions and no great amount of pressure upon the treadle I is required to maintain the pressure upon the welt while the sole-attaching pressure is applied by the machine. Any increase in the pressure of the shoe upon the pad will, by reason of the flow of the balls I28, cause a corresponding increase in the pressure of the element I22 upon the welt, thus insuring a uniform application of pressure throughout.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

1. A welt presser comprising a hollow, elongated, U-shaped, flexible member adapted to fit in the welt crease of a shoe and containing a mass of round, rigid balls.

2. A welt presser comprising a hollow, elongated, U-shaped, flexible tube having a protruding ridge along the inner side thereof and containing a mass of round, rigid balls.

3. Welt-pressing apparatus comprising, in combination, a hollow, flexible, welt-engaging member which is filled with a mass of round, rigid balls and is conformable to the welt crease of a shoe, and means for forcing said member into said welt crease.

4. Welt-pressing apparatus comprising, in combination, a hollow, flexible, welt-engaging member filled with a flowable mass of rigid balls,

a presser shoe constructed and arranged to engage the outside of said member when the latter is disposed in the welt crease of a shoe, and manually operable means for moving the presser shoe toward said shoe to force the welt-engaging member snugly into the welt crease thereof.

5. A sole-attaching apparatus comprising a flexible pressure pad constructed and arranged to engage the tread face of the sole of a shoe, a flexible welt-engaging and pressing member integral with said pad, and means for forcing said member into conformity with the welt crease of a shoe upon the pad.

6. A sole-attaching apparatus comprising a hollow pressure pad constructed and arranged to engage the tread face of the sole of a shoe, a hollow welt-engaging and pressing member arranged with its interior in communication with the interior of the pad, and a single mass of flowable material filling both the pad and the welt-pressing member.

7. A sole-attaching apparatus comprising a pressure pad constructed and arranged to engage the tread face of the sole of a shoe, a flexible welt-engaging and pressing member fast upon the surface of the pad and means for rolling said welt-pressing member over the edge of the sole and into pressing contact with the surface of the welt.

8. Welt-pressing apparatus comprising, in combination, a pressure pad filled with a flowable mass of rigid balls and constructed and arranged to engage the sole of a shoe, a welt-engaging and pressing member disposed above the surface of the pad and also filled with a flowable mass of rigid balls, and means for forcing said weltengaging member inward against a shoe upon the pad and downward against the welt of the shoe.

CLIFFORD K. MAcDONALD. 

